Anti-abortion activists in Ohio want to bar women from getting abortions solely because they do not wish to have a baby with Down syndrome, rallying around a bill endorsed by the National Right to Life Committee.
The Ohio House and Senate will likely pass the bill sometime this fall, according to the New York Times, because most of the state’s legislators oppose abortion and have been endorsed by the committee. However, Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) has not yet taken a position on the bill, so it is unclear if he will authorize it, though he has signed many other abortion restrictions into law.
Because women can undergo prenatal testing to see if their baby will be afflicted with certain diseases and disorders, between 50 and 85 percent of women who discover that their baby might have Down syndrome have chosen an abortion, according to a review of studies conducted between 1995 and 2011. But that number has declined over the years when compared to earlier studies conducted in the 1990s, the review notes.
Critics of the bill say that the ban would be difficult to enforce and likely violates the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling, which delineates that women can choose to get an abortion at any point until the fetus is viable. It also affects the definition of the right to choose an abortion as a private matter between the patient and her doctor.
“These legislative proposals interfere with the doctor-patient relationship and exploit complicated issues that can arise during pregnancy in the worst way,” Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Medical decisions should not be made in the Statehouse, they should be made in doctors’ offices based on sound medical science.”
Virginia TRAP laws whittle away at abortion rights
RICHMOND — The Virginia Board of Health voted Friday to require clinics that perform abortions to meet strict, hospital-style building codes that operators say could put many of them out of business.
The 11 to 2 vote represented the board’s final say on the matter, which has taken unexpected twists and turns since the General Assembly voted in 2011 to regulate abortion clinics like outpatient surgical centers. The regulations went straight to Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R), who quickly certified them. They now go to two state agencies and Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R), who is expected to sign off on them.
Make no mistake, these TRAP laws do not make abortion safer nor do they protect women. TRAP laws simply make it more difficult and expensive to provide safe, legal abortion. Anyone who thinks differently has been misled by political opponents who want to end legal abortion.
Cuccinelli refuses to sign off on State Board of Health regs on abortion clinics
The office of Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli II (R) on Monday refused to sign off on state Board of Health regulations that had exempted current abortion clinics from new, hospital-style construction standards.
In a surprise move a month ago, the board voted to exempt existing facilities from the new rules, which would have required extensive renovations.
In a four-sentence letter to the health department, senior assistant Attorney General Allyson K. Tysinger said that the the office would not certify the regulations.
“The Board does not have the statutory authority to adopt these Regulations,” it says. “[T]he Board has exceeded its authority. Thus, this Office cannot certify these Regulations.”
Really, Really Big Government: No Exceptions
At least 5 senatorial candidates have gone on record, very recently, (no blaming the past) as being very much in favor of what the rest of us would call big government–government intrusion into people’s personal lives–the kind of government intrusion that heretofore has gotten people labeled part of the reactionary fringe. These 5 candidates have stated that they are opposed to abortion even in cases of rape or incest.
Even those politicians in the pro-life movement, with the except of only a couple of people, have not stated that they think a woman should be forced by the government to bear the child of her rapist. This position is extremism and it certainly isn’t getting government out of people’s business.
Shame on these 5. Women and girls are attacked and sexually abused daily. Those who are exposed to incest have an increased chance of pregnancy because of the repeated behavior. And yes, it does happen, horrifying as it sounds.
This kind of intrusion goes beyond the pale and illustrates that real everyday people aren’t running for office. These people are idealists and social busy bodies who are clueless about some of the hardships of life that face some people daily. If they truly are against big government, they will pull in their horns on this issue. Otherwise they are just as bad as the people they so desperately want to replace or worse.
Not only will pro choice women shun these candidates, but some who generally consider them pro-life will do the same. Most people want a safety net in there. No exceptions for rape and incest is hardcore extremism.
